Kiley Huffman brings playoff experience to Troy softball

Sometimes, the things people grow to love do not start with a plan, but with influence from the people they look up to.

For Kiley Huffman, a sophomore outfielder for Troy softball, that influence came from her older cousin, whose love for the game sparked Huffman’s own journey.

“She just inspired me to play, and I thought it looked fun,” Huffman said. “I actually did not like it at first, but I kept playing and fell in love with it, and I’m so glad I did.”

Huffman attended Alvin High School in Alvin, Texas, where she was the 19th-ranked outfielder in the 2024 class, according to Extra Inning Softball, and was one of Lone Star Preps’ top outfielders. The summer after her senior year, Huffman played travel ball for Stryker National Esparaza, where she hit over .400, maintained a perfect fielding percentage and stole 12 bases.

After high school, Huffman moved across the Lone Star State to play for Texas Tech in her freshman year. While there, she appeared in 34 games, started nine, recorded three doubles and eight RBIs, and finished the season with eight putouts.  After one season with the Red Raiders, she decided to enter the transfer portal.

“I was a little anxious because the transfer portal is scary,” Huffman said. “Luckily, I emailed Coach Newell, and I came on a visit, and immediately I knew this is the place I wanted to be.”

Although transferring can bring uncertainty, it allowed Huffman to find a place where she felt supported and comfortable being herself.

“The coaching staff was very caring,” Huffman said. “As soon as I met them, they were very personal, and I knew as soon as I met them, they would want me for who I was, not just the player I was.

“They were also very faith-based and I loved that.”

At Troy, Huffman has also found a place where she can continue to grow in her faith and carry that mindset into the way she prepares for each game.

“Sometimes I will write in my journal about how I am feeling that day and what my mindset is going into that game,” Huffman said. “I always pray before the game, talk to God, and ask him to just let me have fun and help me be the player I know I can be.”

Throughout an athlete’s career, life lessons can come from every play, every game, and every season. For Huffman, one of the biggest lessons softball has taught her is that the game does not define who she is.

“I had to learn that softball’s not my whole life,” Huffman said. “I had to separate the two.

“It’s really helped me enjoy it more and remember my why and have fun doing it.”